EP0738671B1 - Sortiergerät - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP0738671B1
EP0738671B1 EP96302125A EP96302125A EP0738671B1 EP 0738671 B1 EP0738671 B1 EP 0738671B1 EP 96302125 A EP96302125 A EP 96302125A EP 96302125 A EP96302125 A EP 96302125A EP 0738671 B1 EP0738671 B1 EP 0738671B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
path
idler wheels
articles
conveyor
along
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP96302125A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0738671A1 (de
Inventor
James F. Mattingly
Ellsworth H. Collins
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Interlake Inc
Interlake Cos Inc
Original Assignee
Interlake Inc
Interlake Cos Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Interlake Inc, Interlake Cos Inc filed Critical Interlake Inc
Publication of EP0738671A1 publication Critical patent/EP0738671A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0738671B1 publication Critical patent/EP0738671B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G13/00—Roller-ways
    • B65G13/08—Roller-ways of curved form; with branch-offs
    • B65G13/10—Switching arrangements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G19/00—Conveyors comprising an impeller or a series of impellers carried by an endless traction element and arranged to move articles or materials over a supporting surface or underlying material, e.g. endless scraper conveyors
    • B65G19/18—Details
    • B65G19/22—Impellers, e.g. push-plates, scrapers; Guiding means therefor
    • B65G19/24—Attachment of impellers to traction element
    • B65G19/26—Attachment of impellers to traction element pivotal
    • B65G19/265—Attachment of impellers to traction element pivotal for article conveyors, e.g. for container conveyors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G19/00—Conveyors comprising an impeller or a series of impellers carried by an endless traction element and arranged to move articles or materials over a supporting surface or underlying material, e.g. endless scraper conveyors
    • B65G19/18—Details
    • B65G19/28—Troughs, channels, or conduits
    • B65G19/30—Troughs, channels, or conduits with supporting surface modified to facilitate movement of loads, e.g. friction reducing devices
    • B65G19/303—Troughs, channels, or conduits with supporting surface modified to facilitate movement of loads, e.g. friction reducing devices for article conveyors, e.g. for container conveyors
    • B65G19/306—Troughs, channels, or conduits with supporting surface modified to facilitate movement of loads, e.g. friction reducing devices for article conveyors, e.g. for container conveyors the supporting surface being provided with rollers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/52—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices
    • B65G47/53—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices between conveyors which cross one another
    • B65G47/54—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices between conveyors which cross one another at least one of which is a roller-way

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to conveyors, and, in particular, to a conveyor in which products can be sorted off onto spurs as they travel along the main conveyor path.
  • sortation conveyors are know and they all have drawbacks. With a sliding shoe sorter, products can only be fed onto the sortation conveyor at the end and a substantial amount of energy must be used to run the conveyor, even when very few products are being carried because the sliding shoes and their mechanism must be carried along with the conveyor. These sorters are also expensive to buy and to maintain.
  • a tilt tray sorter has the advantage of being able to receive products from the side so it can have several inputs, but is subjects products to considerable shock loads, which is not suitable for fragile products. Also product orientation cannot be maintained in this type of conveyor.
  • the present invention seeks to provide a sorter conveyor which overcomes the known drawbacks of the prior art conveyors.
  • the sorter of the invention has the advantage that it is gentle in handling products.
  • the sorter is flexible, in that products can be inducted at various points along the conveyor and can be sorted off to either side at various points along the conveyor.
  • the sorter of the invention is much more energy efficient than sliding shoe sorters.
  • the sorter also has the advantage of being less expensive to buy and to maintain than most prior art sorters.
  • the products are carried along the conveyor on carrier attachments mounted on chains. If the products are to be sorted off of the main path, the carrier attachments under the products drop down, setting the products onto diverting idler wheels. The carrier attachments directly behind the products do not drop down but remain elevated, serving as pushers, which push the products along the diverting idler wheels and off of the main conveyor path.
  • idler wheels In the second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figures 6-14, pusher bars are mounted between two parallel strands of chain. Products are supported on idler wheels as they are pushed along the conveyor path by the pusher bars.
  • idler wheels refers to any length of idler wheels, including long idler wheels, which would otherwise normally be referred to as rollers.
  • the idler wheels In the sortation area, the idler wheels are steerable, so that, if the product is to go straight along the main conveyor path, the idler wheels are directed straight ahead, and, if the product is to be sorted off of the main conveyor path, the idler wheels are steered at an angle to direct the product off of the main path onto a second path.
  • the third embodiment of the invention is very similar to the second embodiment, except that products are generally carried directly on the same chain that carries the pusher bars.
  • angled idler wheels are shifted up into contact with the products.
  • the idler wheels are shifted down, out of contact with the products.
  • the fourth embodiment of the invention is very similar to the second embodiment, except that, instead of having steerable idler wheels, there are two sets of idler wheels arranged at different angles.
  • the first set of idler wheels is set so as to direct the product straight through, along the main conveyor path. This set of idler wheels shifts up to contact the products and down to be out of contact with the products.
  • the second set of idler wheels is set at an angle, to direct products off of the main path. This set of idler wheels is at a fixed height, so as to contact the products when the first set of wheels is shifted down, and so as to be out of contact with the product when the first set of wheels is shifted up.
  • a sorter 10 which includes a conveyor frame 12 which defines a horizontal main conveyor path 15.
  • the conveyor frame 12 supports several parallel strands of roller chain 14.
  • the strands of chain 14 are closer together on one side of the conveyor path 15 and are separated wider apart toward the other side.
  • the products 20 are put onto the conveyor indexed to the one side, so that even small products will be well-supported by the closely-spaced chains 14 on that side.
  • idler wheels 16 In the sortation portion of the sorter 10, between parallel strands of roller chain 14, are idler wheels 16, set at an angle to the main conveyor path 15.
  • the idler wheels 16 are mounted on a plate 17.
  • Products 20 can be inducted onto the sorter 10 from the end or from the side.
  • Each strand of chain 14 has a plurality of carrier attachments 18 mounted on it.
  • the products 20 rest on top of the carrier attachments 18 when they are being carried along the main conveyor path.
  • the carrier attachments 18 under the product 20 drop down over the appropriate set of diverting idler wheels 16, setting the product 20 down onto the diverting idler wheels 16.
  • the diverting idler wheels 16 also lie in a horizontal plane, so that the product must be pushed along the idler wheels 16 in order to move.
  • the carriers 18 behind the product 20 do not drop down, and, instead, serve as pushers, pushing the product 20 along the diverting idler wheels 16, until the product 20 is off of the main conveyor path 15.
  • FIGS 2-4 show the details of the carriers 18 and the idler wheels 16.
  • the roller chain 14 is a typical roller chain, with equal length inner sidebars 26 and outer sidebars 28, which, when assembled, form inner links and outer links. These inner sidebars 26 and outer sidebars 28 are connected together by chain pins 30 and bushings 31. Each bushing 31 is press fit into its two respective inner sidebars 26, and outer sidebars 28, forming inner links from the inner sidebars and outer links from the outer sidebars. The outer sidebars 28 can pivot about the bushings 31 so that the chain can flex about the sprockets.
  • a roller 32 is mounted for rotation over each bushing 31 between the two inner sidebars 26.
  • the chain pins 30 extend through their respective bushings 31 and project outwardly, beyond the outer links 28, so as to carry a shiftable attachment 18 and a shift mechanism 46 to the rear of each shiftable attachment 18.
  • the shiftable attachment 18 and its respective shift mechanism 46 are mounted on three adjacent pins 30, and then the next three chain pins carry the next shiftable attachment 18 and its shift mechanism 46.
  • the shiftable attachments 18 have a flat top 36, for carrying products.
  • On each side 38 of each attachment 18 are forward and rear, substantially L-shaped holes, so that each forward chain pin 30 projects into two opposed, forward L-shaped holes, and each rear chain pin 30 projects into two opposed, rear L-shaped holes.
  • the L-shaped holes 40 are at a slight angle to the vertical, so that the substantially vertical leg 42 of the L-shaped hole is at an angle alpha of approximately 10° from the vertical, and the substantially horizontal leg 44 is at an angle beta of approximately 10° from the horizontal. This angle helps ensure that the attachments 18 move smoothly from the "up" position to the "down” position and do not get stuck in between those two positions.
  • the idler wheels 16 are set at an intermediate height, below the height of the carrier attachments in the "up” position, and above the height of the carrier attachments in the "down” position.
  • the shift mechanism 46 is mounted on two pins 30.
  • the forward end of the shift mechanism 46 defines an arcuate slot 50, which mounts on the same pin 30 as does the back of the attachment 18 which it will shift. That forward portion of the shift mechanism 46 lies between the attachment 18 and the link 26 or 28.
  • the rear portion of the shift mechanism 46 is wider than the forward portion, so that it abuts the back of its respective attachment 18 when the attachment 18 is in the "up" position.
  • the rear portion of the shift mechanism 46 defines a hole 52, which receives a chain pin 30, that defines the pivot point of the shift mechanism 46.
  • the trigger 48 If the trigger 48 is raised when the shift mechanism 46 passes over it, it contacts the downwardly-projecting portion 54 of the shift mechanism 46, causing the shift mechanism 46 to pivot clockwise, as shown in Figure 3. As the shift mechanism 46 pivots clockwise, the wide portion of the shift mechanism 46 pushes the attachment 18 forward, shifting the attachment 18 forward relative to its mounting pins 30, causing the mounting pins to move into the vertical legs 42 of the attachment, and allowing the attachment 18 to drop down, placing the product on the angled idler wheels 16.
  • the attachment 18 continues to move forward relative to the chain 14 as it moves down, so that, when the attachment 18 reaches the "down" position, with the pins 30 at the distal end of the vertical legs 42, the shift mechanism 46 no longer abuts the back of the attachment 18.
  • the trigger 48 is moved back down, by means of a solenoid (not shown) or other known means, so that the attachments 18B directly behind the product 20 are not triggered to drop down. Those attachments 18B then serve as pushers, pushing the products 20 along the angled idler wheels 16.
  • sortation stations There may be many sortation stations along the sorter 10, with different sets of angled idler wheels 16, so that the product 20 can be sorted off at any one of several different places, depending upon where the carriers 18 carrying that product 20 are triggered to drop to the "down" position.
  • FIG. 5 shows the chain 14 going over the drive sprocket 56 at the top right and then passing over the lower right idler sprocket 58.
  • the carriers 18 go from the lower right idler sprocket 58 to the lower left idler sprocket 60, they are upside down, and gravity causes them to shift so that the pins 30 are at the intersection of the horizontal leg 44 and the vertical leg 42 of the L-shaped holes 40.
  • gravity again shifts the carrier attachments 18 relative to their pins 30, so that the pins 30 end up at the distal ends of their respective horizontal legs 42.
  • the attachments 18 pass around the upper left idler sprocket 62, they are again in the "up" starting position, ready to receive a product.
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of a second embodiment of a sorter 110 made in accordance with the present invention.
  • a conveyor frame 112 supports two parallel strands of chain 114. These two parallel strands of chain 114 carry pusher attachments 118, which extend between the two strands of chain 114 above the conveyor frame 112.
  • Across the conveyor frame 112 are mounted horizontal idler rollers 117, which define a main conveyor path 115.
  • In the sortation area are a plurality of steerable idler wheels 116. These idler wheels 116 can be steered straight ahead, to send products along the main path 115, or they can be steered at an angle, to send products off to a second path.
  • the products 120 can be inducted from the end of the conveyor or from side paths, such as the side path 121.
  • the side paths include driven wheels or rollers.
  • Figure 6 shows the idler wheels 116 directed straight ahead, so that products pushed over them continue along the main conveyor path 115.
  • Figure 7 shows the idler wheels 116 steered to the left, so that the products 120 being pushed over the idler wheels 116 are directed off of the main conveyor path 115 onto a second path 124.
  • each idler wheel 116 is mounted for rotation on a support bracket 164.
  • the portion of the support bracket 164 directly below the idler wheel 116 defines a hole 168 which mounts onto a mounting pin 166 that is fixed onto a lower plate 117.
  • the pin 166 extends through a slot 182 in the upper plate 178.
  • the support bracket 164 is mounted on the mounting pin 166 so as to pivot about the mounting pin 166.
  • a bracket arm 170 defines a second hole 172, which mounts onto a second mounting pin 174, which is received in a slot 176 in an upper plate 178, that lies on top of the lower plate 117.
  • the lower plate 117 is fixed relative to the conveyor frame, and the upper plate 178 can be moved forward and backward relative to the lower plate by an actuator 180, shown in Figure 11.
  • the idler wheels 116 face directly along the main path 115, putting the sorter in the position shown in Figure 6.
  • the bracket arm 170 is moved forward, causing the support bracket 164 to pivot about the mounting pin 166, so that the idler wheel 116 is angled to the side, to send products off of the main conveyor path 115, putting the conveyor into the configuration shown in Figure 7. If the upper plate 178 were instead shifted backward relative to the bottom plate 117, the idler wheels 116 would be directed to send products off of the other side of the main path 115.
  • FIGS 12-14 show the manner in which the pusher bars 118 are mounted on the chain 114 and on the conveyor frame 112.
  • Each pusher bar 118 is screwed into left and right attachments 184, which are affixed to the left and right chains 114, respectively.
  • Each pusher bar 118 also has left and right arms 186, which carry left and right wheels 188, which ride in left and right tracks 190, respectively. This prevents the pushers from pivoting relative to the chain 114 during normal operation.
  • This embodiment is essentially the same as the second embodiment, except that the products 220 ride on the chain 214 as they go along the main conveyor path 215.
  • the angled idler wheels 216 are mounted on a vertically-shiftable plate 217. When the plate 217 is down, as shown in Figure 16, the products 220 do not come into contact with the idler wheels 216 and continue along the main conveyor path. When the air bags 292 are filled with air, the plate 217 is shifted upwardly, bringing the angled idler wheels 216 into contact with the products 220, so that, as the products 220 are pushed along the idler wheels 216, they are sent off of the main conveyor path, onto the side path 224.
  • This embodiment of the conveyor 310 includes a conveyor frame 312 and two strands of chain 314 carrying pusher bars 318, as in the previous embodiment.
  • there are straight idler wheels 394 which support products on the main path 315.
  • the straight idler wheels 394 are mounted on a shiftable plate 317, so that, when the air bags 392 are filled and the plate 317 shifts up, the straight idler wheels 394 are in contact with the product, as shown in Figure 19.
  • the plates 317 goes down, the products in the sortation area ride on the angled idler wheels 316, which direct the products off of the main path 315 onto a side path 324 with driven rollers.

Claims (8)

  1. Ein Fördermittel zur Sortierung von Artikeln bestehend aus einem Fördermittelrahmen (12, 112) welcher einen ersten Pfad (15, 115) definiert, und einer Anzahl von Zwischenrädern, von denen im Betrieb zumindest einige im Winkel zu besagtem erstem Pfad (15, 115) gerichtet sind, so daß ein zweiter Pfad gebildet wird, wobei Artikel über diese Pfade befördert werden können und wobei die Artikel (20, 120) entweder entlang des besagten ersten Pfades (15, 115) oder entlang des besagten zweiten Pfades befördert werden können, wenn die besagten Zwischenräder (16, 116) im Winkel zu besagtem erstem Pfad (15, 115) gerichtet sind,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet daß
    das Fördermittel zusätzlich eine Anzahl von kettenbetriebenen Drückvorrichtungen (14, 112, 118) umfaßt, mit dem die Artikel (20, 120) entlang des besagten ersten oder zweiten Pfades (15, 115) gedrückt werden, wobei im Betrieb die besagten Drückvorrichtungen (114, 118) die besagten Artikel (20, 120) entweder entlang des besagten ersten Pfades (15, 115) drücken oder die Druckvorrichtungen (114, 118) die besagten Artikel (20, 120), wenn sie mit den besagten, im Winkel zu besagtem Pfad gerichteten Zwischenrädern (16, 116) in Kontakt kommen, vom besagten ersten Pfad (15, 115) weg und entlang besagtem zweitem Pfad drücken.
  2. Ein Fördermittel nach Anspruch 1, bei dem das Fördermittel zusätzlich einen Lenkmechanismus (178, 180) umfaßt, der so ausgelegt ist, daß zumindest einige der besagten Zwischenräder (116) aus einer ersten Position in eine zweite Position im Winkel zu besagtem ersten Pfad (115) gelenkt werden können.
  3. Ein Fördermittel nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2, wobei die besagten kettenbetriebenen Drückvorrichtungen (18, 118) eine Anzahl paralleler Ketten (14, 114) und eine Anzahl von an den jeweiligen Ketten montierten Trägeraufsätzen (18, 118) umfassen und die besagten Trägeraufsätze aus einer "oberen" Position in einer Höhe über den besagten Zwischenrädern (16, 116) in eine "untere" Position in einer Höhe unter den besagten Zwischenrädern beweglich sind, so daß in der "oberen" Position die besagten Trägeraufsätze darauf ausgelegt sind, Artikel über die besagten Zwischenräder (16, 116) zu befördern, ohne daß die besagten Zwischenräder mit den Artikeln in Kontakt kommen, und so daß, wenn einige der besagten Trägeraufsätze sich in der "unteren" Position befinden, sie die Artikel auf die Zwischenräder (16, 116) absenken, und so daß andere der besagten Trägeraufsätze in der "oberen" Position hinter den Artikeln als Drückvorrichtungen dienen, die die Artikel entlang der Zwischenräder (16, 116) drücken.
  4. Ein Fördermittel nach Anspruch 3, wobei die besagten Ketten Kettenstifte (30) umfassen und die besagten Trägeraufsätze (18, 118) auf den besagten Kettenstiften montiert sind, wobei die Trägeraufsätze an ihren Seiten im wesentlichen "L-förmige" Vertiefungen haben, in die die Kettenstifte neben den einzelnen Trägeraufsätzen montiert werden, und außerdem einen neben jedem Trägeraufsatz montierten Verschiebemechanismus (46) umfassen, der den betreffenden Aufsatz auf Befehl aus der "oberen" in die "untere" Position verschiebt.
  5. Ein Fördermittel nach Anspruch 4, wobei das besagte Fördermittel einen zweiten Pfad einschließt, der von besagtem ersten Pfad abweicht und zudem einen Auslöser (48) an besagtem Fördermittel oberhalb des besagten zweiten Pfades umfaßt, um den besagten Verschiebemechanismus (46) auszulösen, so daß dieser die besagten Trägeraufsätze in die "untere" Position bewegt.
  6. Ein Fördermittel nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, wobei die besagten Drückvorrichtungen (18, 118) auf zwei parallelen Ketten montiert sind.
  7. Ein Fördermittel nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2, wobei, wenn eine erste Anzahl von Zwischenrädern (16, 116) entlang des besagten ersten Pfades gerichtet und eine zweite Anzahl von Zwischenrädern (16, 116) im Winkel zu besagtem erstem Pfad gerichtet ist, die Artikel (20, 120) sich auf dem besagten Fördermittel in Richtung der ersten Zwischenräder oder in Richtung der zweiten Zwischenräder bewegen, je nachdem, mit welchen Zwischenrädern die Artikel (20, 120) in Kontakt kommen.
  8. Ein Fördermittel nach Anspruch 7, wobei das Fördermittel zusätzlich einen Mechanismus (217, 317) zur Änderung der relativen Höhe der ersten Anzahl und der zweiten Anzahl von Zwischenrädern umfaßt, so daß die jeweils höher stehende Anzahl von Zwischenrädern mit dem Produkt in Kontakt kommt.
EP96302125A 1995-03-27 1996-03-27 Sortiergerät Expired - Lifetime EP0738671B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/410,728 US5551543A (en) 1995-03-27 1995-03-27 Sorter
US410728 1995-03-27

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0738671A1 EP0738671A1 (de) 1996-10-23
EP0738671B1 true EP0738671B1 (de) 1999-10-06

Family

ID=23625986

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96302125A Expired - Lifetime EP0738671B1 (de) 1995-03-27 1996-03-27 Sortiergerät

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Country Link
US (1) US5551543A (de)
EP (1) EP0738671B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE185333T1 (de)
AU (1) AU690832B2 (de)
CA (1) CA2172702A1 (de)
DE (1) DE69604522D1 (de)

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Publication number Publication date
EP0738671A1 (de) 1996-10-23
ATE185333T1 (de) 1999-10-15
DE69604522D1 (de) 1999-11-11
AU5032096A (en) 1996-10-10
CA2172702A1 (en) 1996-09-28
US5551543A (en) 1996-09-03
AU690832B2 (en) 1998-04-30

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